


Percabeth Tumblr Drabbles

by vll8586



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Drabble, Drabble Collection, F/M, Fluff, One Shot, One Shot Collection, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-28
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:55:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 7,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23888560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vll8586/pseuds/vll8586
Summary: Here's where I'll keep the drabbles i post from prompts on tumblr. Find me there at percyheartsannabeth.tumblr.com :)
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson
Comments: 7
Kudos: 183





	1. "Because I love you"

It’s 10pm the first time Percy tells Annabeth she should wrap up work for the day. She’s sitting at her desk in their apartment with her laptop open, pen in her hand, and papers scattered on the desk and floor.

Just Percy’s head is leaning through the doorway when she waves him off saying, “I have just a little more. Go to bed. I’ll be there soon.”

Percy tidies up a bit, takes a shower, and brushes his teeth. When Annabeth still hasn’t emerged from the second bedroom, which functions as her office, he knocks on the door again.

“I’m finishing up, I promise,” she says through the door. “Go to bed.”

Percy listens to her and goes to their room across the hall. He gets in bed and pulls up the covers, but it feels wrong without her there. Even though he knows it’s bad, he gets his phone and starts scrolling through her instagram. The pictures of them hanging out with their friends and smiling together make him feel better, but it’s nowhere near as good as having her there with him.

Percy puts his phone down and closes his eyes trying to fall asleep. His mind keeps wandering to the other room where Annabeth is slaving over figures and plans. He knows she loves her work and he supports her fully, but she does have the tendency to compromise on rest.

He rolls over and checks the time. It’s almost midnight.

He wraps his blanket around himself and shuffles across the hallway again. He knocks once before turning the handle and opening the door slightly.

Annabeth glances over at him, then looks back at her screen. “I’m wrapping up.”

‘You said that two hours ago.”

“Why don’t you just leave me alone and go to sleep?”

“Because I love you,” Percy says. That gets her attention. She looks at him with a soft smile. “You need to get some rest.”

Percy sees her hit ctrl S on her keyboard before she closes the laptop and stands up. Annabeth walks over to him and flicks off the light. She steps into his embrace and he wraps the blanket all the way around her, cocooning them together.

“I love you, too,” she says into his chest. He drops a kiss to the top of her head, and even though he’s wide awake, he feels at rest.


	2. "Can I stay with you?"

Reimagining the scene in BOTL when Annabeth is worried about the prophecy and Percy comforts her in the Athena cabin:  
Percy was more than surprised when Annabeth held out her arms to him, asking for a hug. She shivered against his chest while he patted her back. 

Annabeth was so worried about the prophecy that she wouldn’t even say it aloud. That only made Percy feel worse. 

He was hyper aware of everything in the room, especially how her hair smelled like lemon soap and how her hands felt against his shoulder blades.

Percy tried to console her, to tell her that they’ve solved a lot of their problems before and they would do it again. He knew he was saying it just as much for himself.

Behind them, somebody cleared his throat. They jumped away from each other. It was Annabeth’s half-brother Malcolm.

“I can tell everyone that we’re having some Athena kid bonding at the campfire,” he said. 

He was offering to buy them some time. Percy looked over at Annabeth, who looked even more tense with her arms crossed and shoulders slightly raised. 

“Can I stay with you?” Percy asked quietly, knowing she probably wouldn’t invite him herself. Percy also had mixed feelings. On one hand, he wanted to flee from such an intense emotion, but he also didn’t want to leave her or be alone himself. She nodded at him first then at Malcolm, who quickly left them alone in the cabin.

Annabeth let out a sigh and sat down on her bunk. Percy slid in beside her.

“The prophecy lines usually rhyme,” he said. “Was the last word death?”

She kept her eyes on her hands in her lap. Percy took that to mean yes. She tipped her head onto his shoulder then and he tentatively wrapped his arm around hers.

“It’s okay,” he said, even though he couldn’t shake the feeling that it wasn’t.


	3. "Of course I care"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 2 for 1

#1 no monsters AU  
“Those columns are ionic,” Percy said. “You know, because the tops look like scrolls.”

It was a nice sunny day, so they’d decided to spend it walking around the city. Or they were walking until Annabeth stopped in her tracks.

“Have you been reading up on your types of columns?” she asked, sounding surprised. She looked up at the building, which was the Brooklyn museum, and confirmed that they were in fact, ionic columns.

Percy laughed. “No. I just remembered that you told me that. It was ionic, doric, and Corinthian.”

“I’m sorry I sounded so sarcastic. It’s just that I’m not used to people actually paying attention when I talk about architecture stuff. I didn’t think anyone cared.”

“Of course, I care,” he said. He smiled down at her and she couldn’t help but get lost in his sea green eyes as she leaned into him slightly.

The moment was ruined when someone bumped into them on the crowded sidewalk. They were holding up traffic.

Annabeth was annoyed for a second, but then Percy pressed a kiss to her cheek and pulled her along, making her forget all about it.

#2 Pre TLO at Camp  
Over the course of his short life, Percy had taken quite a few hits, but it wasn’t everyday that he got knocked out so hard that he woke up back at the Big House who knows how long later.

Everything in his body ached as he tried to open his eyes. His vision was slow to come into focus and just as it cleared enough for him to make out Annabeth’s blonde curls he heard her say, “Open your mouth.”

His eyes fell shut again because the light was making everything worse, but he did as he was told. She put a straw in his mouth and he sucked up what he assumed would be nectar. As soon as the liquid washed over his tongue and he experienced the wonderfully familiar taste of his mother’s chocolate chip cookies, Percy let out a sigh of relief. His body warmed and he opened his eyes again.

She was leaning over him slightly, her brow creased in concern.

“I’m surprised you’re here,” he mumbled with the straw still in his mouth.

“Why?”

“Well, you know, things have been- I don’t-” He struggled to articulate how they hadn’t really been on the best of terms ever since the Rachel incident. “I just wasn’t sure if you still cared.”

“Of course, I care,” she snapped. “Now shut up and drink.”

He downed the rest of it, but before she could completely pull away he reached out his hand and loosely held her wrist. He wanted things to get better between the two of them, and from the soft look that fell across her face when he said, “Thank you, Annabeth,” he could tell that she did too.


	4. "You're more than that."

“Ms. Chase, there’s a Mr. Jackson here to see you.”

Even though Annabeth has been working for the same architectural firm for years, their receptionist is brand new. So new that he’s never met Percy.

“I’ll come right over,” she says into the phone. 

At the front desk, Annabeth finds Percy with a bag of take out in his hand and a huge grin on his face. 

“I love it when you forget your lunch,” he says as a greeting. 

“This is my boyfriend Percy,” she introduces them. “You don’t have to call him Mr. Jackson and like I said before, you can call me Annabeth.”

“Noted,” the receptionist says. 

There’s an open floor in her office building that has tables and chairs outside, and even some grass and trees. They head up and sit in the shade to enjoy their lunch together. Whenever she forgets to bring lunch or just doesn’t have time in the morning to pack one, he gets her take out from her favorite Thai place. 

She’s halfway through her pad thai when she says seemingly out of nowhere, “I don’t like that I have to call you my boyfriend.”

A noodle drops out of his mouth. “Um.”

“ **You’re more than that**. You’re so much more than that to me.”

He’s smiling at her then, a big toothy smile, not his usual mischievous one, but one of pure happiness.

“You’re my best friend,” she continues. “You’re my truest companion. I trust you with everything and I can’t imagine living without you. You mean the world to me. And frankly boyfriend just isn’t really cutting it.”

“Well then how does fiance sound?”

Annabeth’s jaw drops. He’s said it so casually. A little twitch in his eyebrow betrays his nervousness, and then he’s moving. He gets down on one knee in the grass beside her and fishes a ring box out of his pocket.

“Were you carrying that around with you?” she asks, flabbergasted. 

He just nods and looks up at her expectantly. Annabeth can’t help but place a hand over her open mouth. She blinks and there are tears threatening to run down her cheeks. 

“Yes! Of course, Percy, yes.” She says it loud enough to get the attention of everyone else enjoying their lunches outside. Suddenly, there’s applauding and cheering as Percy swoops Annabeth up in his arms, pulling them both to their feet. 

She’s smiling almost too hard to kiss him, but it doesn’t bother her because she has a lifetime with him to look forward to.


	5. "What's cooking good lookin?"

It’s a Saturday night when Percy and Annabeth take the love languages quiz together. Neither of them are surprised to learn that Annabeth’s love language is physical touch, but they aren’t expecting Percy’s to come out as words of affirmation. That revelation makes Annabeth acutely aware of how she usually teases Percy rather than give him genuine praise. She always smooths it over with a hug or a kiss, but that may not be what Percy really wants all the time.

So, the next morning when she smells him making his signature blue pancakes, she decides that she’s going to compliment him, out loud and without a hint of sarcasm.

She throws off the covers of the bed and throws on one of his sweatshirts (because she knows he’ll like that) and takes the few steps from their bedroom to their kitchen. 

“ **What’s cookin good lookin?** ” she says. 

As soon as the words leave her mouth, she’s recoiling. Annabeth takes a step back and covers her face in her hands. She has the entire English language, as well as Ancient Greek, at her disposal to compliment her boyfriend and what she chooses is that?

Percy’s laugh brings her out of her hole of embarrassment. She peeks between her fingers and relaxes as soon as she sees the way he’s looking at her. His eyes are soft and his smile is glowing. 

He flips a pancake with one hand and holds his other arm out, inviting her in for a hug. “Get over here.”

She closes the space between them and he pulls her into him with his arm.

“That was so cheesy,” she says against his chest. She presses a kiss to his collarbone. “I meant, good morning. And thanks for making breakfast. And you’re gorgeous. And I love you.” 

“I loved it,” he says, putting down his spatula on the counter. “I love you.”

With both hands free, he makes good use of them to pick Annabeth up by the waist and set her on the counter behind them. They kiss then, long and slow, and only break apart when they smell the pancake burning. 


	6. "You've always felt like home."

Annabeth had been holding back tears for approximately three hours. The prickle behind her eyes started when her and Percy’s flight back to New York from San Francisco was delayed the first time. She felt a lump form in her throat the second time it was delayed. And she got a roaring headache when they’d heard the announcement that it was outright cancelled. The blizzard in New York was too strong. 

Annabeth didn’t let the first tear fall until she was safely locked in the hotel bathroom. “Percy, I’m gonna take a shower,” she hollered before turning the water on. She let the water run over her face and mix with her tears. She didn’t want to keep Percy up any later, so she made it quick and left the bathroom a little more put together than when she’d entered it.

That all fell apart when she saw Percy sitting on the bed on the phone with his mom. “Yeah, she’s right here,” he said. “We’ll be on the next flight out, I promise. Stay safe and warm. I love you, bye.”

He looked up with a soft smile to where she was standing across the room in just a towel. “My mom says hi and Merry Christmas.”

Annabeth held the towel up with one hand and covered her face in the other.

She didn’t see Percy stand up and walk over to her. “It’s okay. It’s not your fault the weather decided to be bad.”

“But it is my fault we were going back on Christmas Eve instead of earlier and it’s my fault that you’re out here in California anyway. I ruined Christmas!” she cried. 

Percy hugged her then, and trapped her arms between them. He rested his cheek on the top of her head even though her hair was wet, and just held her for a moment.

“You haven’t ruined Christmas,” he said gently. 

“I stopped you from being home with your family. I mean look, we’re in a freaking Hyatt. Does this feel like home?”

**“You’ve always felt like home.”**

Annabeth didn’t know what to say, so she just wiggled her arms out to hug him back. 

She loved the feeling of being in his embrace, the firmness and warmth of it. Her fingers clutched at the back of his shirt and he kissed the top of her head. Eventually, her headache started to wane and her body started to relax, the tension seeping out of her shoulders.

She pulled away just enough to give him a kiss. “You feel like home to me too.”


	7. "You look amazing" and "I'm never letting go of you" Prom

For a long time, Percy never thought he would go to prom. He had a lot of other stuff going on with the fighting monsters, going on quests, winning a war, and just trying to stay alive in general. But against all odds there he was, a senior in high school wearing a rented tux and waiting for his girlfriend to finish getting ready. She was in the bathroom with his mom, probably doing her hair and make up, and they’d been in there for a while, but Percy was fine waiting. Annabeth didn’t have a lot of time to spend on herself usually, so he didn’t mind if she took all the time in the world. 

Ok, well. Maybe not all the time in the world. Prom started at six and he didn’t want to miss too much of it. 

He was sitting on the couch fiddling with his bowtie when Annabeth entered the room followed by his mom. His head shot up when he heard the clicking of her heels on the wooden floor. 

Her gray eyes found his immediately and she gave him a little smile. 

“Your eyelashes…” he said in awe. 

“I did my hair and put on this dress and you’re focused on my eyelashes?”

“Well, you did something to them.”

“They’re fake, Percy.”

His mom left them in the living to go find her phone to snap a few quick pictures. Annabeth’s father had paid for them to take a limo, not a stretch one since it was just the two of them, but still better than taking the subway. 

Percy took the time to really look her over then. Her hair was somehow tucked up so that only a few curls framed her face and the rest was folded on the back of her head. Her dress was a deep blue, which Percy personally appreciated, with a high neck and no sleeves. It was fit to her body until it reached her waist. From there, the skirt had extra fabric that made it hang almost in waves. The front reached the top of her knees, but the back nearly touched the floor.

“ **You look amazing** ,” he said. 

“You haven’t even seen the best part,” she replied. 

Annabeth slowly turned around and looked at him over her shoulder. The dress was completely backless. His hand reached out to trace down her spine, but stopped when he saw his mom walk back in the room.

“Okay smile!” she said. 

They posed for a few minutes then hurried outside to meet their car. Annabeth sat in the middle seat to be next to him, and they couldn’t stop grinning at each other the whole ride to the prom venue, which was a reception hall that also hosted weddings.

They took more pictures with Percy’s friends there. All the guys from the swim team had met Annabeth, but some of his other classmates were surprised to see in her person. A few of them thought that “Percy’s hot girlfriend” was a joke.

The dinner was just okay, as all reception hall dinners are, but Percy was happy to savor the normalcy of it all. As soon as their dessert plates were cleared away, Percy pulled Annabeth onto the dance floor. They started just bopping around in a big circle with Percy’s friends, but as soon as the first somewhat slower song played, Percy pulled Annabeth away from the group.

She put her hands on his shoulders and smiled up at him. Her skin was warm beneath his fingers. They completely ignored the music as they rocked back and forth with each other. Seemingly pulled by gravity, they got closer and closer into each other’s space until Percy’s cheek rested against the side of Annabeth’s forehead. 

“I never thought we’d make it here,” she said, tilting her head up to look him in the eyes. She pressed a soft kiss to his mouth. “I’m never letting go of this moment.”

He pulled her flush against his chest. **“I’m never letting go of you.”**


	8. "Don't touch him."

It’s a warm afternoon when Annabeth finds her boyfriend taking a nap in the grass by the lake at Camp Half-Blood. His fingers are interlaced behind his head and his face is relaxed with his mouth slightly open. She smiles to herself and sits a bit away from where he’s lying, not wanting to disturb him.

Annabeth’s relieved to see him finally getting some rest. Even though things have mostly gone back to normal since the war against Gaea, they haven’t. The effects of surviving Tartarus weigh heavily on them in the form of nightmares, panic attacks, and general unrest. They’re quieter and more secluded than they used to be, and even though Percy tries to keep things upbeat for the other campers, Annabeth knows how hard it is for him. 

Which is why, when she sees two younger campers hurrying over to him, she snaps, **“Don’t touch him.”**

They turn around in surprise at the sound of her voice. “But, but there’s an empousa trying to get past the border!” one of them says in a hushed but urgent tone. 

“And there aren’t any other demigods in this entire camp that can handle that? Go find Clarisse.”

She’ll apologize later for her tone and for not immediately helping out, but one monster doesn’t warrant ruining one of Percy’s few moments of peace. He might be a little upset with her for not letting them wake him up, but she doesn’t care. The other campers, and Annabeth would argue all the gods, need to learn not to always come running to Percy with every little problem. 

The commotion about the empousa is getting louder in the distance. Annabeth walks down the slope and sits next to Percy. He’ll wake up in a moment from the noise and she wants to be close to him when he does.

Sure enough, he opens his eyes with a sharp inhale. 

“Hey,” she says quietly.

“Hey, what’s going on?” he asks, rubbing his eyes. 

“It’s just one monster.”

“Oh we should help,” he says stifling a yawn.

“I think they’ve got it. How’re you feeling?”

“Tired. You?”

“Tired.”

“Then, come here,” he says, opening his arms. 

She lays with her head on his chest and lets out a sigh. She pushes Chiron and Mr. D and everyone else out of her mind, and just focuses on Percy’s heartbeat. Lying in each other’s arms while everyone else is fighting may not be the right thing to do, but it is what’s right for them. And they’ll have to accept that if they have any hope of getting better. 


	9. (mildly) jealous Percy

The summer after Percy and Annabeth graduate high school, they go back to camp to help with an exchange program between Greek and Roman demigods. 

He’s sparring with one of the Romans for fun, when he overhears someone say, “That Roman, Sam, seems to really like Annabeth. They’ve been together all day.”

The Romans have only been at camp for a day and he’s yet to meet all of them, so he has no idea who this Sam is. Hearing his girlfriend's name is distracting enough that he loses his focus for a second and has to narrowly avoid the Roman demigod’s strike. He directs his focus back to his partner and finishes the spar quickly, pinning his component without too much trouble. 

Percy’s not usually the jealous type, he swears. But he’s noticed how attractive many of the visiting Romans are and he’s not too fond of the image of some tall and gorgeous Roman adonis hitting on Annabeth. 

When he finds her later by the weapons shed, she’s drinking some water alone. He takes off his armor while she watches him.

“How’s sparring going?” she asks.

“It’s fine,” he says. 

Before she can ask him any more questions, he’s taking her by the hand and tugging her out and around the shed to the back, where they’re out of sight. 

She takes another swig of water and eyes him suspiciously. He gets into her space and puts his hand on her lower back. 

“So tell me about this Sam,” he says.

“Oh, she’s nice,” Annabeth says, casually. 

For a moment, Percy forgets that many people including his girlfriend and himself aren’t straight, and he feels relieved. Then he remembers that fact and he feels the twinge of jealousy again. 

She, of course, can read him like a book, and says, “Something bothering you?”

Her gray eyes are boring into his, and he looks away. She uses her index finger to turn his face back to hers. He can’t help himself and leans down to kiss her, but she stops his mouth by pressing her finger against his lips. 

“Admit you’re jealous,” she teases. 

“I’m not jealous. I don’t even know anything about her and you two just met,” he says defensively.

“So then why did you pull me behind here to interrogate me?” she asks, without a hint of real anger. 

He feels himself blush and Annabeth just smiles. 

“You’re cute.” She pecks his lips and starts walking away. “I’ll see you at dinner.” 

That evening, Percy sees Annabeth chatting with one of the Roman demigods outside the dining pavilion. He can only assume it's Sam. She’s objectively not his type (she looks nothing like Annabeth) but she’s cute. They’re standing pretty close together, and it looks like they’re having an upbeat conversation. When Annabeth lets out a laugh, he smiles. He always loves to see her happy and the peaceful mixing of Roman and Greek demigods is literally why they’re there. 

When he approaches them, it’s not out of a jealous rage or the need to insert himself to break them apart. Annabeth sees him walking over and smiles. 

“This is my boyfriend, Percy,” she introduces them. “Percy, this is Sam. She’s a daughter of Fortuna.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you,” Sam says. “Annabeth’s been mentioning you all day.”

Percy’s heart clenches and Annabeth nudges his arm. He knew it before, but it’s abundantly clear now, Annabeth is his and he’s hers and it’ll take a lot more than one cute demigod to change that. 


	10. "Oh shit"

Snapchat is a dangerous app. It’s especially dangerous in the hands of a half asleep Annabeth who just awoke from a nap and now desperately wants a cuddle from her boyfriend, but also has no desire to get out of bed. 

She’s lying on her side and her cleavage is just about as out as it can be in her camisole, but she knows Percy won’t mind. She pouts her lower lip out and puts her finger up to her mouth. She’s going for a mix of sleepy, cute, and a little seductive. “Muffin come cuddle,” she types and hits send without a second thought. 

Annabeth waits for her ever attentive boyfriend, but after a few minutes, he still hasn’t come.

“Percy, check your phone!” she hollers. 

She nestles back into the blankets and waits. 

“I didn’t get anything,” he says, appearing in the doorway, phone in hand.

Annabeth looks at him for a moment while her brain processes what he said. Hmm. it must not have sent. She unlocks her phone and opens Snapchat and, “ **Oh shit.** ”

“What?”

“I may have sent an image intended for you to someone who is not you,” she says slowly. 

“What kind of image and to who?”

His eyes are wide and he’s probably anticipating the worst. 

“Just a little something to Piper,” she answers. “A little chest action.”

He visibly relaxes. “Oh that’s fine. It’s nothing she hasn’t seen before.” 

Percy drops his phone on the bedside table and climbs onto the bed. He settles in next to her before Annabeth speaks again, “I may have referred to you as muffin in the message.”

Percy stiffens. “We can never show our faces again.”


	11. "I remember that night, I just might"

Annabeth leans her head against the wall of the elevator to Mount Olympus. She’s managed to tell Percy that he was right about Luke, but there was so much more that she wanted, no, needed to say. 

They’d just about run out of time and she’s just spent what might be some of her last moments with Percy being sour. She curses herself silently.

There’s a night that she would regret for the rest of her days. It was less than a week ago, but it feels like years. 

They were back at camp the night of Beckendorf’s funeral. Earlier that day Annabeth had called Percy a coward before storming away from him. 

They had caught each other’s eyes for a moment and Annabeth should have said something. She should have said sorry and that he wasn’t a coward, and instead the bravest person she’d ever met. She should have run into his arms and told him how much she cared about him, and that he didn’t deserve everything that was happening to him. 

He had come to her for help and advice and she had pushed him away because of her own insecurity. It all seems so childish to her now, so trivial. She keeps her gaze off of Percy because she knows if she looks at him and into his deep and tired and young eyes, she won’t be able to pull herself back together. She’s already let him down and now that he needs her even more, she can’t do it again. 


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt from thejudgingtrash: A fluffy prompt you say? How about Annabeth being out of shape and trying to get the hang of it at the pool and embarrassing herself in front of lifeguard Percy?

It’s the coldest day in June and Percy is sitting in his lifeguard chair in a classic bright red lifeguard sweatshirt with a towel across his lap watching a completely empty pool. This happens every once in a while, on particularly cloudy or rainy days, when the weather isn’t bad enough for the pool to close, but not nice enough for people to want to swim. 

He’s the only lifeguard on duty (for obvious reasons) and in his struggle to stay awake, he sings along to the never ending playlist of summer hits playing on the speakers. 

“I’m gonna soak up the suuuunnnn,” he’s singing when he hears the sound of flip flops on the concrete. He assumes it’s another staff member, so he keeps singing. “Gonna tell everyone to lighten uuuup.” 

“Nice voice!” someone hollers at him. 

Percy jumps in his seat and lifts up his sunglasses. Across the pool standing in a bright red one piece is Annabeth Chase. Her hands hover by her mouth before she gives him a wave. He’s about to tell her that the water's freezing and she should come back another day, but she hops into the 5 foot deep lane section of the pool without hesitating. 

Percy’s heart jumps a little and he sits up straighter in his seat. It’s not that he thinks Annabeth is going to drown, but this does mean that he has to pay attention. He takes his life guarding duties very seriously, especially when it comes to his best friend and longtime crush. 

Annabeth had said herself that she was out of practice when it came to swimming. She’d taken a few lessons as a kid, but now (the summer after her junior year of high school) she’s pretty rusty. 

Percy watches her hug herself in the water before pushing off the floor and doggy paddling down the lane of the pool. He has to resist the urge to get in the water with her and give her a few pointers. He knows how well that would go. It was one thing when he taught her how to skateboard, but when he’d offered to give her a few swimming lessons, she’d rolled her eyes and said, “I know how to swim.”

And now that he’s watching her and remembering that conversation, he can’t help but think,  _ well, kind of _ . He wonders what possessed her to choose this particular day to do a few laps. She knew he would be there because he’s there almost every day (he needs the money), so she’s not avoiding him like he thought she would. 

Percy’s eyes scan the pool automatically. It’s still empty besides her clumsy and stuttered splashing.  _ Oh that’s it _ , he thinks. The pool’s empty, which means no one else from their grade will see her. It’s a matter of pride after all. 

She stops in the middle of the lane and stands with her hands on her hips, clearly catching her breath. 

Percy toots on his whistle once and her eyes snap to his. “You have to keep moving if you’re going to be in the lanes,” he teases. 

She flips him off and pushes off the floor again, this time attempting a backstroke. Her arms move in the correct circling motions, but her hips aren’t high enough and she isn’t letting her head tip back enough to keep her momentum. 

She keeps struggling for ten more minutes while he watches her. He feels a little weird staring, but technically it’s his job, so it’s totally different from all the other times he’s found his eyes lingering on her face or hair or silhouette. And the insistent urge to get in the water to help her, even though it’s freezing, is totally coming from his position as a lifeguard and not the fact that he’s in love with her and wants to help her with everything he can. 

A particularly chilly breeze rushes through his sweatshirt. It’s enough to make him shiver, so he can imagine that Annabeth is going to be a popsicle as soon as she gets out of the water. He checks his watch and sees that the pool is supposed to close for the day in half an hour. Surely, no one will notice if he wraps up a little early. 

He leaves his rescue buoy on its rack next to the guard chair, grabs Annabeth’s towel off her lounger, and waits for her at the end of the lane. 

“Your lips are blue,” he says. 

She looks up at him with a defiant look on her face and her arms crossed, but it’s ruined when her teeth start chattering. 

“I still have half an hour before the pool closes. It says so on the sign,” she says. 

“I think I’ll lose my lifeguard license if I let a swimmer get hypothermia,” he says, crouching down, so he’s not standing so far above her. “And I also know a certain someone who would be very upset if you got sick and had to miss our trip to Montauk.”

She gives in and pushes herself out of the pool. Instead of just handing her the towel, he holds it open for her and wraps it around her. She pulls the towel tighter and takes a step closer to Percy.

“Why is it so cold?” she groans. “It’s summer, isn’t it?”

Percy just chuckles and says, “You do realize the pool is open on hot days too?”

“Oh, shut up,” she responds, huddling even closer to him. He wants to pull her against his chest, but he stops himself. 

“You wanna go sit in the office?” he asks. It’s times like this that he’s thankful that the community pool doesn’t have much supervision. 

She’s already slipping on her flip flops and grabbing her bag before he finishes the sentence. 

A minute later she’s finishing drying off in the warmth of the office while Percy locks things up. When he opens the door, her towel is wrapped around her head and her hands are running up and down her arms.

“You want my hoodie?” he blurts out. 

Her eyebrows flick up, but she nods. Percy pulls it over his own head, not thinking about how he’s not wearing a shirt under it. Luckily for him, there’s extra merch for all the lifeguards in the office closet. He hands it over to her then quickly ducks through the closet door. Of course, she’s seen him shirtless plenty of times, but it feels different than when they’re with their friends outside. 

When he comes back from the closet, she’s sitting in a chair with her knees pulled into her chest and her legs completely covered by the sweatshirt. Percy has to stop himself from telling her how cute she is. 

“When’s your next day off?” she asks him. 

“The day we leave for Montauk.”

“Do you think you could squeeze in some time for a couple lessons with me?” she says shyly. “I don’t want you to be thinking about me the whole time we’re at the ocean. It’s kind of hard to have fun if you’re worried about your friend drowning the whole time.” 

“A few swimming lessons aren’t going to stop me from thinking about you, Annabeth, but yes,” he smiles. “And don’t stress. I am a professional and I know CPR.”

“Geez Percy, if you wanted to kiss me then just say so.” 

“Um.”

Annabeth’s face flushes bright red, but she doesn’t take it back. 

A beat passes between them. 

“I should head out,” she says, standing up.

“Do you mean that?” he asks before she can leave. “Are you teasing me or did you mean that?”

She stands in front of him but avoids his gaze. “Both?”

“You never make things easy for me,” he groans.

She looks up at him then, exasperated. “Okay, fine. I meant it, Percy.” 

Before he can lose his nerve, he responds, “I want to kiss you, like real kiss you, not give you CPR.”

Her face breaks out into a smile and she steps closer to him. “It’s about time.” 

She leans up onto her toes and pulls his face down to hers with her hand on the side of his face. Her fingertips are cold, but he’s burning up as their lips meet in the softest kiss. She smells like chlorine and they’re both so shy and the pool office isn’t the most romantic place in the world, but to Percy it’s perfect because he’s with her. 

She pulls him closer and buries her face in his neck. Percy’s glad she can’t see his outright giddy expression, but he has to stop himself from flinching away from the coldness of her nose on his skin. 

“You’re still freezing,” he says. 

He feels her nod. “So warm me up.” 

She folds her arms in between them and he runs his hands up and down her back. He can’t help but think about how lucky he is. “You can wear my hoodie home,” he says pulling the hood over her damp curls. 

He never gets it back. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoyed! my tumblr is pretty much always open for prompts so if there's anything you'd want me to write feel free to send me an ask!   
> -torie (percyheartsannabeth)


	13. "drying" kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> from thejudgingtrash: "Do drying kisses do drying kisses THE PEOPLE YEARN FOR DRYING KISSES!!!"

Percy tries not to feel hurt when Annabeth says she’s going to the library specifically to get away from him. 

“You’re too distracting,” she explains as she grabs her backpack and starts shoving her laptop and notebook inside. “I will finish faster without you looking at me- no, stop it with the baby seal eyes.”

“Okay fine, I’ll walk you there,” he finally concedes.

“It’s a fifteen minute walk.”

“Right, fifteen minutes I get to walk with you.”

Annabeth shakes her head and smiles. “You’re something else, Percy Jackson.”

She finishes packing up her stuff and snags his hoodie off the back of the couch, just as he reaches for it himself.

“Too slow,” she laughs. 

At the door of the library, Annabeth turns to him before she goes inside. “I should be able to get this done in two uninterrupted hours.” She presses a quick kiss to his cheek. “I’ll see you later.”

Percy takes him time walking back to their apartment. It’s one of those nice fall afternoons where the air just feels a little crisp and the trees are ablaze with color. For most of his life, Percy did not take leisurely walks. It was getting from point A to point B as fast as possible and trying not to die along the way. 

He kicks off his shoes when he gets home and glances at his own closed laptop on their coffee table. Maybe he should get some work done while she’s not around to distract him. He pulls up a pdf and starts reading. It’s an article for one of his Teach Ed classes about creating a positive learning environment for students with ADHD. While he reads, he feels a mix of resentment towards some of his old teachers and gratitude that he’ll have the opportunity to do better. 

He’s engrossed in the article until the loud crash of thunder and the sounds of rain pelting his window snatches his attention. He checks the time. It’s been about two hours so Annabeth should be leaving the library any minute. 

Or maybe she just left.

The next thing that catches his eye is her umbrella leaning against the wall beside the front door. That’s not good.

In one quick motion Percy grabs the umbrella, slips on his sneakers, and heads out the door. 

He finds her halfway between their place and the library, wearing her backpack underneath his hoodie, with her wet curls plastered to her face. 

He shakes his head as he jogs over to her “Why didn’t you just wait at the library? Or text me?”

“It’s just rain. I’ve dealt with worse,” she says, her arms crossed in front of her chest. 

Percy holds the umbrella over the two of them and wraps his arm around Annabeth’s shoulders, pulling her into his chest. 

“Just ‘cus you can doesn’t mean you have to,” he says. 

She shivers a little and he just squeezes her closer. 

“Hey, son of Poseidon, isn’t there something you could do for me here?” She looks up at him with her eyebrows raised. 

Percy mentally chides himself, he’s been in the mortal world so long sometimes he forgets that he can always use his powers. He tugs her off the main path and behind a tree so they’re at least slightly out of sight. It only takes a little concentration and a wave of his hand for Percy to suck the water out of Annabeth’s hair and clothes. He presses his lips to her forehead while he does it, just because he can, and after a moment she’s as dry as he is. 

“Thanks,” she says, as she pushes up onto her toes to give him a real kiss, one that lingers and leaves them both breathless. 

“You’re feeling better?” he smiles. 

“Of course.”

“Paper’s done?”

“Mhm.” She takes his free hand and pulls him in the direction of their apartment. 

“So now I get to distract you?”

“No,” she gives his hand a squeeze. “Now you get my full attention.”


	14. "come to bed" kisses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> request from a kind anon

For most of their teenage years, Percy and Annabeth’s sleeping habits were dictated by forces other than their own. Nearly passing out from exhaustion on quests and dealing with the grueling schedule of school didn’t leave them with too much say about when they slept.  
But now those days are far behind them, and with freelance jobs, their schedules are mostly up to them.   
It’s a shock to everyone, most of all Percy himself, that he turns out to be a morning person. He likes watching the sunrise, especially from the beach. He revels in the calm and quiet of the early morning, the emptiness of the streets in a seemingly restless city. There’s something to be said about handing Annabeth her first cup of coffee in the morning, too.   
While Percy’s early bird tendencies seem incompatible with Annabeth’s night owl schedule, they put their minds together and come up with a solution that, of course, involves lots and lots of kisses.  
When it’s 11pm and Annabeth is still sketching designs even though she said she’d be done an hour ago, Percy pads into the room and leans across the table to kiss her cheek. His eyes flicker to the clock on their wall and he doesn’t have to say anything to get the message across.   
When it's 7am and Percy is just getting back from a morning swim or other marine animal escapade, and he finds Annabeth sitting up waiting for him, she opens her arms and he collapses onto her. She kisses the top of his head and says, “Get back in bed.”  
Sometimes Percy dozes off in the middle of whatever they’re watching. Annabeth lets him lean more and more into her, until his head rests in her lap. She runs her fingers through his curls absentmindedly until he eventually stirs.   
“Bedtime,” he mumbles.  
“It’s only 9:30,” she says.   
He rolls off her and stands gracelessly, taking a moment to stretch. His hands find the sides of her neck easily and he tilts her chin up gently with his thumbs.   
“Come to bed,” he says.   
“It’s so early.”  
He leans in and kisses her softly, a little drowsily. “Come with me.”   
His hands slide down her arms and he intertwines their fingers. She doesn’t fight him when he pulls her to her feet and leads her down the hall to their bedroom.   
When they’re under the covers and Annabeth is resting her head on his chest while he runs his fingers up and down her back, he asks, “Do you want to come to the park with me in the morning? There’s a coffee shop around the corner that I think you’ll like.”  
“Only if you’re buying,” she replies.   
Percy chuckles.   
“And you make pancakes when we get back,” she adds.  
“Consider it done.”  
“And you take a nap with me in the afternoon.”  
“You drive a hard bargain, ‘Beth.” His voice is lower than usual and he talks slower when he’s sleepy. “But you have a deal.”  
She reaches across his body and playfully shakes his hand. “Deal.”  
His hand stills on her back and he can feel his consciousness waning.  
“I love you,” he whispers.   
The last thing he hears is her saying it back.


	15. "i lied"

“One more episode?” Annabeth asked, already clicking through the “Are you still watching?” button. 

It was a Friday night and she and Percy were having a lovely binge session of House, MD.

“Mhm,” Percy agreed. He reached his arm out in front of and stretched out his back before returning it around her shoulders.

“You gonna fall asleep?” she teased.

Percy ruffled the hair on top of her head. “What? No! Of course not,” he said as if he didn’t knock out on the couch every Friday they spent in their apartment. 

“I’m just asking because I always end up practically carrying you to bed.”

She skipped through the opening credits. As House and his team prattled on through their first differential diagnosis for that day’s mystery illness, Percy rested his cheek on the top of Annabeth’s head. It couldn’t have been the best viewing position, but she loved the feeling of being surrounded by him and a wave of satisfaction washed over her and his fingers stroked up and down her arm. 

Halfway through the episode, she got up to get some water and came back to find him stretched out on the couch. His head was propped up on his hand and his eyes were drooping lower with every slow blink.

“You wanna go to bed?” she asked quietly. 

His free hand reached up for her wrist and gave it a light tug toward him. That was enough of an answer for her. She grabbed a pillow and tucked it behind his head and pulled the blanket off the back of the couch down and around them as she nestled into his side. 

Percy’s arm wrapped around her waist like a reflex. 

Hours later when sunlight was faintly streaming through their apartment windows, Annabeth woke with a jolt. It wasn’t often that they spent a full night on the couch and she was sure their bodies would regret it. Her sudden movement was enough to stir him and she felt him take a deep breath against her back. 

“Percy,” she groaned. 

He kissed the top of her head and pulled her even closer. 

“I thought you said you wouldn’t fall asleep,” she said. 

“I lied.”


End file.
